Son of the Lalan hero

Lost

The roar echoed in my ears as the ship crashed to earth. The impact was brutal, shaking every fiber of my being. Chaos gripped the interior of the ship, and everything became a whirlwind of movement and desperate screams.

Shattered glass scattered everywhere, turning the floor into a field of dangerously sharp thorns. The warm, oppressive breeze of the earth's atmosphere seeped through the broken windows, enveloping us in its suffocating embrace. Pain spread through my body, deep gashes adorned my arms and face, reminding me of the price I had paid for this turbulent journey.

Desperately, I tried to get up, but every movement was torture. The shattered glass threatened to pierce my skin once again if I dared to set foot on the ground. So I held my position, struggling to find an unsteady footing on the debris of the shattered ship.

My brother, with a mixture of astonishment and relief on his face, turned his gaze toward all of us, verifying that we were alive. His words echoed in the midst of the chaos, offering a ray of hope in that moment of uncertainty.

"We are all alive! We will soon arrive at the academy. The landing won't be easy, but we must stay in our places to avoid further damage."

My brother's words echoed in my mind as I tried to find a safe place in the midst of the disaster. I saw him differently at that moment, beyond our quarrels and differences. I saw him as a leader, a captain who genuinely cared about the safety of his crew.

Carefully, I stepped away from the pile of glass and found a bar that I clung to with all my might. I couldn't use my lacerated hands, but I was determined to stay on my feet, even if it meant enduring more pain.

Arturo and the others struggled to get out as well, wounded and bloodied. Their faces reflected the torment suffered during the landing. Together, we clung to anything that could provide us with a modicum of stability in that chaotic scenario.

I felt the ship descending violently, each jolt threatening to throw us into the abyss. The lights flickered again, their faint glow flickering, as we faced an overwhelming gravitational force.

In the midst of that hellish descent, I clung to the hope that we would arrive safely at the academy.

[...]

I awoke in a daze, only moments after feeling the devastating impact. The ship, split in two, lay in an unknown place, far from our expected arrival at the academy. A glance through a broken window revealed that we were deep in a dark forest. The sun, filtering through the branches, cast strangely beautiful glints of light on the disaster around us.

The sound of a police patrol was fast approaching, breaking the eerie silence that had taken over. My companions, in a similar state to mine, were trying to get to their feet, but their battered bodies prevented them from moving easily. Lucia, with her unwavering determination, approached them, urging them to remain still to avoid serious injury.

Although I was unharmed, my concern for the condition of my companions prompted me to head for the ship's control center. Upon arrival, I found that most of the crew was bruised and bloodied, but still able to move. My brother, the ship's captain, had a deep wound on his right hand. I looked around, aware that the echoing footsteps of unknown people filled the ship.

Suddenly, armed police stormed the scene without delay. My brother stepped forward, assuming his leadership role, to explain the situation to the authorities. At that moment, the detective who was accompanying us during the mission came to my side.

"You're a peculiar individual, but a valuable crew member. It's interesting...you could become a pilot this year. You just need more experience and to learn more about space flight. You seem to have an extensive knowledge of ships. Well, I must go clear the situation with the police."

Uneasy, I realized that my unconventional actions had made me the center of attention of the entire academy. The weight of uncertainty and consequences loomed over me.

[...]

Two days after that incident I managed to find some calm. However, the countless explanations I had to give about our actions had triggered an investigation. My concern centered on my brother, who was probably the Ungeziefer's target, and now they knew who he was. I tried to communicate with him, but our separations made it difficult. I decided to head to the pilots' quarters, looking for answers, but my brother was not in the halls and I didn't know who else to ask. Until I spotted one of my fellow passengers, who finally spoke to me.

"Ah... the irregular cadet..."

"Yes, do you know where Miguel is?"

"Ahh... he went to rest in a village. He's exhausted from what happened on the trip."

"I understand... thank you."

I didn't hesitate to walk away quickly.

[...]

Two days later I was calmer, unfortunately I had to give hundreds of explanations for what we had done with the ship. Everything remained under investigation, but I was worried about my brother, he was possibly the target of the Ungeziefer, and they already knew who he was.

I tried to talk to him, but it was difficult, they separated us all, perhaps to determine responsibilities. I went to the pilots' quarters, but I didn't see my brother in the corridors, and I didn't know who to ask. Until I saw one of my fellow passengers, and he spoke to me.

"Ah... The irregular cadet..."

"Yes, do you know where Miguel is?

"Ah... He went to a town to rest, he's stressed about the trip."

"Ah....ok..."

I didn't hesitate to leave there, I needed to talk to him. Miguel was in danger and I had to warn him, but the main problem was to get out of here.

The only person who could help me in this was Lucia. She had tapped the academy's communications and with her permission I could leave.

I walked through the corridors and saw many lieutenants talking, perhaps about what had happened a few days ago. For a moment I imagined they were Ungeziefer, but it all seemed more like paranoia.

Surprisingly, I could see Lucia over there, she was coming from the office of the general who ran the academy. I went over to where she was, and she spoke to me.

"Uh... Lucia, I need your help."

She made a slight comment to clarify and put the situation in context for me.

"I'll meet you in the infirmary. Don't talk to me here."

As I listened to her, I understood that it was dangerous to be seen talking. I just went to the place where she indicated.

[...]

In a few minutes I arrived at the infirmary as she had indicated.

No one was there, not even the nurse. Lucia arrived shortly after, but she was somewhat serious.

"What do you need me for?"

"How can I get out of here without anyone noticing?"

"It's impossible, and don't do anything stupid. They have you under surveillance because of what happened."

I felt too much annoyance in her, apparently she had been scolded because of me, but I had to disobey any order, I had to be honest with her and I told her about Miguel, I just told her that we were cousins.

"Miguel was the Ungeziefer's target, he has some kind of health problem. In a week he would have died on the ship."

"Miguel? That's an impossible lie."

"He's my cousin, he's the hero's son."

She doubted me, but she remembered the discussion I had with him, she took her head and gave me an answer.

"Okay, I'll help you, but you'll only have two hours to get out and to get back."

"Ok, and what will you do?"

She pulled out a time device and the energy of the whole place went out.

"Well, now go quickly."

I was surprised to hear that, but I was able to react in time and got out of there fast. Lucia was a pretty strange person, but for my father she was capable of doing a lot of things, it was scary. I just hoped she wouldn't be discovered. At least, no one would notice my absence if there was no power. Since everyone would be looking for the problem, and they wouldn't have time to organize and look for the cadets so early.

Quickly, I left the infirmary and looked everywhere to see if there was anyone nearby who could give away my strange behavior.

I saw no one, so I headed for the cellar to wait for Lucia to sabotage the communications.

[...]

The blazing sun illuminated the road as I made my way into the town near the academy. The bustle of the crowd was intensifying, suggesting some kind of event in progress. I averted my gaze from that spot and set out to search for my brother among the tangle of people hindering my progress. Suddenly, I was approached enthusiastically, being offered pamphlets promoting a party that would take place in a few days. I didn't have the heart to refuse them, so I took them, but soon realized that they were too many to carry. Despite this, I decided to keep them in my pockets.

I decided to move away from the crowd and found myself in a strange place. A statue of my father, which stood majestically, had been vandalized mercilessly. My father's face was smeared with paint and obscene words written on its pedestal. I did not stop to contemplate the unfortunate spectacle, but continued walking until I glimpsed Miguel near a police station, where my father was also standing. I hesitated whether to approach them, but decided to walk past them and whisper something in their ears.

Although I suspected that my father was already aware of the threats that threatened Miguel, it was strange to see him there, calling out to him. However, until I was sure he was informed, the uneasiness would continue to haunt me.

I advanced toward them like any ordinary passerby, distancing myself a scant five meters away. But suddenly, a deafening bang shook the air. Before my stunned eyes, the police station exploded violently, taking my father and Miguel with it.

My body was thrown violently several meters away, crashing brutally to the ground. I made an effort to raise my head and search desperately for them, but found only fragments of bodies and pools of blood scattered everywhere. Reality was slow to dawn on me. Both my father and brother had perished in that fateful moment, reduced to mere disfigured parts.

The screams of terror and the hurried footsteps of people approaching in search of answers echoed in my ears, creating a deafening echo. I felt an unbearable pain in my head and was completely dazed.

I closed my eyes helplessly, unable to do anything to get up from the ground.